Candle Ayoti
Candle ayotis were once thought by the people of the Candle Archipelago to be spirits, dashing at imperceptibly fast speeds between the trees late at night, the only sign of their presence their flashing orange glow. The connection between the leaping gray gliders that were seen during the day and the orange flashing spirits at night was made by Qaitu naturalists, and ever since these small creatures have been greatly respected. Not only do candle ayotis glow orange as the moon emerges, but their speed and agility increase exponentially. Few creatures can move as fast as a candle ayoti on a moonlit night, and during full moons these creatures are so quick their glow can be missed during a blink. At night they feast on insects, and keep the swarming mosquitos and gnats at bay in the thick growth of the archipelago. Their glides can take them between the tips of the tallest trees without faltering, and at night they only rarely come down to the ground. During the day, they are still energetic but lack their blistering speed, and for two to three hours each day will hide away in their burrows, deeply asleep. Perhaps due to their high energy, these creatures live extremely short lives of only one year in the wild. This has resulted in the Qaitu belief that their life cycle coincides with the visitations of their ancestors once per year, and furthered their status as sacred animals of the archipelago. Egg This egg has a soft, downy tail. Hatchling The fur of this tiny creature is incredibly soft, especially on its long tail. Young candle ayotis will not stay still long enough to be petted, though, as their fast metabolism and taste for sugary foods will drive them to excitable searches for their next meal. Keeping up with one of these creatures is nearly impossible during the day, as their slate gray fur helps them blend into their surroundings. At night their fur begins to glow, making it easier to track them. Hatchlings are clumsy despite their speed, and will often mistime their gliding leaps, leading them to hit the ground with a thump. They don't seem to mind, though, and will quickly scale the next tree, or their magi’s head, and try again. Young ayotis will stay awake and active for almost a week, only to suddenly crash and sleep for an equal amount of time. Adult While less excitable than the hatchlings, adult candle ayotis are still highly energetic, especially at night. Their tails are prehensile, and they will take every opportunity to get as high as they can whenever they see a structure they can climb. They enjoy leaping from the tip of the Keep and spiraling down to the ground, and well trained individuals will even maneuver down to land on their magi’s shoulders. Due to their nocturnal nature and nearly inexhaustible energy, ayotis are hard for magi to handle. Luckily they grow out of the strange sleeping pattern they have as hatchlings, and will spend a few hours each day asleep. While they eat anything and are naturally drawn to consume insects as adults, they are still easily trained with sugar, especially honey or sap, which they crave. Because they glow, they are often brought along when magi travel at night. It is rumored that potions can be made from their glowing fur that will lend a magi incredible energy, but attempts to do so have resulted in many failures and very amused candle ayotis with patches of shaved fur. Their fur grows very quickly, however, and in a few days they will once again be as fuzzy as before. Breeding Additional Infomation *No. 534 *Obtained from the quest: Candle in the Water (quest no longer available) *Released: October 25th, 2014 *Sprites: Xenomorph, Lazuli *Descriptions: Raneth * Rotating Sprites: **Day (6am-6pm) - Ayoti is grey **Night (6pm-6am) - Ayoti is black with orange markings Category:2014 Creatures Category:Quest-born Category:Halloween Category:Artist: Xenomorph Category:Artist: Lazuli Category:Rotating Sprite